After two years during which the Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City was opened in a limited manner or closed entirely due to coronavirus or security restrictions, over 100,000 people are expected to take part in the first Friday afternoon Ramadan prayers there this week.
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That number is expected to rise to nearly 250,000 worshippers in the last week of the Muslim holy month.
Security officials decided to ease entry restrictions to the site on Friday so that all men and women aged 50 and over will be able to pray at the Temple Mount.
"The central threat is terrorism. We are prepared for scenarios of an individual assailant" who has not given any advance warning of their plans, Commander Sami Marciano said.
Tensions here are high," he noted. "The range of attackers is very broad, so we need to be careful of all of them – to be suspicious of all of them on one hand, and on the other hand, conduct ourselves with respect," Marciano said.
In recent days, the Israel Police and the Shin Bet security agency detained suspects who declared their intention of carrying out an attack. Some were arrested in Jerusalem, while others were detained on the outskirts of the city. Still others were detained before they could arrive in the capital.
On Wednesday, police arrested three suspects from Nablus, all of whom had been in Israel illegally and planned to carry out a stabbing attack. The three drew the attention of Border Police officers, who searched their persons for weapons. During the search, a knife fell from one of the suspect's pockets.
Since last Friday, police have also arrested 130 suspects alleged to have incited terrorism online.
As for the decision to put an end to online incitement following its contribution to fanning the flames during riots across the country last year, Marciano said, "They need to understand there is a price [to pay] for those who publish incendiary videos."
Police reinforcements, both covert and overt, were deployed this week to the Old City in Jerusalem, in particular the area surrounding the Damascus Gate, out of concern the wave of attacks seen across Israel could inflame tensions. Thus far, minor riots have taken place, and police have responded with restraint. The goal is to avoid a repeat of the scenes seen at the Damascus Gate when police used skunk water on rioters at the Damascus Gate.
"Our central lesson this year is the clear distinction between the normative population that wants to celebrate Ramadan and the rioters. It's not that we didn't make a distinction last year, but there was a kind of explosion that was very hard to control. This year, we've come more prepared. We've had talks and meetings with the merchants and the leaders." He said that while the police will tolerate more, "when we identify a rioter, we don't give in."
Police are closely monitoring reports of young people looking to riot on the Temple Mount. In the meantime, the assessment is that Friday prayers will end without any significant incidents.
Chief Superintendent Ronen Hazut, the commander of the Shalem Police Station adjacent to the Damascus Gate, also spoke of police cooperation with the local merchants. "They're fed up with the youths who riot and ask them to stop," he said.
Some of the merchants Israel Hayom spoke with at the Damascus Gate and in the Old City's Muslim Quarter said they were pleased with the relative quiet, the festive atmosphere at night, and their ability to sell their wares without interference. Others, however, claimed the police presence served to ignite tensions on the ground.
Jerusalem District Police Commander Doron Turgeman told Israel Hayom, "We see a large public that wants to celebrate as opposed to a minority that wants to confront the police. We are focused on those who harm the public that comes to observe their religion and [enjoy] the holiday experience and deal with them through arrests and other means. We are prepared for any scenario and any threat."
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